Spermophilus (Spermophilus) canus Merriam 1898

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Sciuridae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 754-818 : 805

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.7316535
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scientific name	Spermophilus (Spermophilus) canus Merriam 1898
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Spermophilus (Spermophilus) canus Merriam 1898 , Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 12: 70.

Type Locality: "Antelope, Wasco County, Oregon." [ USA].

Vernacular Names: Merriam's Ground Squirrel.

Synonyms: Spermophilus (Spermophilus) vigilis (Merriam 1913) .

Distribution: USA: E Oregon, except NE and SE corners; extreme NW Nevada; W side of Snake River in WC Idaho.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Subgenus Spermophilus ( Hall, 1981:383) . Includes vigilis (see Vorontsov and Lyapunova, 1970; Nadler et al., 1984, wherein that junior synonym was employed as the species name). Formerly considered a subspecies of townsendii ( Hall, 1981:383-384) , but differs in diploid chromosome number ( Nadler et al., 1984). No hybridization between canus (2n=46) and adjacent mollis (2n=38) or townsendii (2n=36) has been reported (Rickart et al., 1985). Reviewed (in part) by Rickart (1987), as S. townsendii .